We often talk about foods that are common choking hazards for little ones, or toys that may pose a potential risk, as well as how to reduce these risks- but sometimes choking hazards present in a way that is completely unexpected and unpreventable.
Roxana completed a CPR Kids course with her partner and a group of friends a few months ago, and recently had an awful experience that she shared with us, in hope of raising awareness on the importance of knowing how to help your child in an emergency.
Roxana was out with the group that she had completed the CPR Kids course with, having a Christmas get together in a local park. Suddenly, her 8 month old boy who had no toys in the pram and was not eating food at the time, was choking.
The culprit? A gum-nut that had fallen from a tree and into his pram.
What followed, Roxana describes as “the scariest experience of my life”. She checked his mouth, removed him from his pram and called for help. Her baby boys face was losing colour and he could not breathe.
Understandably, she was extremely upset. This is when everyone went into action mode: one called 000, another located the entry to the park to make sure the paramedics were not wasting time looking for them, and the others took her baby to assist with the back blows and monitoring whether the gum-nut dislodged.
“The group knew what to do, they were ready to take turns, they were nervous but confident and this changed the outcome of the situation.“
After a few minutes – but what felt like an eternity – Roxana’s little boy passed the gum-nut and was breathing again.
“I would like to thank CPR Kids and the nurse Alyce, who came to my place to run the course because she made sure everybody practiced for a few minutes; which honestly back then seemed a bit exaggerated or dramatic but today we all are grateful we did it.“
“You can find many CPR courses around but in my personal experience CPR Kids course is designed for these situations, for a normal parent to react. The course changed our lives, I still cry thinking about the what ifs.”
We are so glad that Roxana’s little boy was saved by the quick thinking actions of Roxana, her partner, and her friends. We are so sorry you went through this freak accident and awful experience, but well done on everyone knowing what to do – it really saved your little ones life!
